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A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn....

It's gonna get harder before it gets easier. But it will get better, you just gotta make it through the hard stuff first.

Monday, July 21, 2008

A weekend full of Sunshine

Since this week is going to be even busier than all combined before (PCT 50 is coming this weekend), I'll refer to photo-story again.
Texas is hot, although not as hot I as I feared. Austin has single track trails on miles of hills - not Gorge hills, but still, not flat either. And the people are nice and relaxed. All in all, I kind of broke my perceptions of what I will see and was pleasantly surprised. Of course, going to the race also meant I'd be in my territory:) Not even 5 min after we arrived I felt pretty much at home - and where am I not if trail ultrarunners are involved? :) It was a 12/6 hr race format starting 7pm (I guess best time to run out there, huh?). I crewed for Larry through the night, helped a bit at the only AS (7 mile loop), chatted with a bunch of people, and paced Larry on loops 6 and 8. The trail was nice, slightly rolling (I'd say flat, since I could run everything, and I don't run uphills), a good mix of smooth single track and treacherous rocks/roots. Larry got 56 miles in 11:21 and took 2nd male (and 3rd overall - Melany Fryar chicked all the guys!). It was fun, if humid and hot night.

Congrats to all TRT100 and VT100 finishers, and now I am onto final stages of prepping for PCT50. Next year don't miss out on registration, we have views to die for!
A natural creek made into a pool. Freakin' cold!

p.s. Tuesday
I had an awesome run this morning. I absolutely did! On Marquam hill, something from the first step just clicked, something like I haven't had on this trail in at least a year. It was such a blast! And it was fun to push too when I realized I am having a great day. I won't lie, it wasn't quite a PR on this trail, but then again, the PR stands from 2005, it ways out of reach - though it was pretty darn close! Made me smile. Not everything's lost when you get runs like this occasionally (like Wilson river run, like bitchy Gorge Thursday run, like a few Forest Park runs...).

17 comments:

Thank you! for crewing me and kicking my butt when you paced me. Also, thanks for dragging me, literally, out of the aid station after every loop. You were all business! ;) Now, I have an idea of what to expect in 3 weeks. I'm glad you had a chance to meet some of my friends and experience a small slice of Texas. And that's not a "skirt" the RD is wearing. Us men prefer to call them kilts. ;) Oh, and, thanks for introducing me to "downhill Bitch"! That was some really rocky, rooty stuff she was flying down in the dark!

I agree with Sarah - Austin is the best place in TX. If not there, 2nd best is Kerrville where I grew up. I don't like the heat or humidity but I love the hills, vegetation, and all the critters that scurry, slither, and crawl. I especially like Palmetto State Park near Austin.Looks like a great time, Olga!

A night race in an unknown land with good company. No doubt you lead an exciting life, Olga. And no doubt you're happy. Thanks for keeping us all involved. Good luck at the PCT 50. And many congrats to Larry!

What a fun weekend you had! So cool that you got to pace Larry and experience Texas!

I spent lots of time in Austin while I lived in Texas, and that place is near and dear to my heart. There is nothing like a cold soak in Barton Springs after a hot, humid, central Texas run. Your pictures inspired lots of happy memories, thanks!

Very true you are. I think that I am truely happy and comfortable with this. The only thing that I will regret is that I have to wait a little longer between races to see all my friends that have been there along the way. Thanks Olga.

I almost signed up for that race! I wish I had known you were going! I'm in El Paso, which is about a 10 hour drive from Austin. I went to school about an hour and a half northeast of Austin, so I've spent some time in the area :) I'm glad you liked Texas. You can pretty much find just about any type of geography you want - sort of like California - desert, ocean, mountains, prairies. The one consistent piece: it's HOT in the summer!

I've talked a group into doing PCT 50 next year (their first 50!). It was my second ultra and I can't imagine a more beautiful place to start running ultras.

Great marriages are the result of two mature, grown up people – both of whom have full, satisfying lives – cooperating with each other to get their needs met. In this kind of differentiated relationship, each partner compliments the other, but doesn’t complete them.

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“We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” - e. e. Cummings

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